Cyber Crime posing a serious threat
The term cyber crime is meant to mean any form of illegal action taken on the economic platform of Internet. There are many forms of cyber crimes such as hacking, online identity theft, cyber stalking, ransom ware or virus attacks, credit card frauds, child pornography, etc. The digital space is all around us today, and every process is either directly or indirectly dependent on Information Technology. For private organizations, government bodies, and individuals, it is very important that control, prevention, and investigation of cyber crime activities start. One has to tread carefully into the Internet and when doing transactions online. For all of us, combating cyber crime is the urgent call of the time.
Revered list of ways by which you may curtail cyber crime:-
Education – Remember, information provides power not just to hackers. Put yourself up one step when it comes to cybercriminals by familiarizing yourself with the variety of scams that exist via the Internet and how one can avert them. Since phishing seems to be rampant, read up on the latest phishing scams, and learn how they can attempt to lure you into providing sensitive information on a fake website that mimics your bank's homepage.
Use a firewall – Firewalls monitor traffic between your computer or network and the Internet, and stand foremost in the defense against intruders. Always use a firewall provided with your security software. And if you have a home wireless network, then do enable the firewall provided in the router.
Be careful with your clicks; avoid scams:
Don't let any unknown gentleman entice you to click on links in his email or on IM's. Such links can easily lead to a phony page, aimed at grabbing your private information. The latter may even download some malware onto your hard drive. If the message comes from a person you know, caution should still be exercised. Some viruses propagate and spread themselves through emails or through the links of WhatsApp messages; hence you must identify the information that clears the origin of any communication.
Safe surfing and shopping; rife under crooks-
You should be careful to watch out for fake websites that would opt for your personal information and malware-containing pages while doing some shopping online. Creating a fake site with a web address similar to that of the real site is called typo-squatting and is among the commonest tricks. One must be careful when revealing personal details like name, address, phone number, and financial information on the web. One should check that Websites are secure. Check out the address bar: does it start with "https://" or "http://"? The extra "s" is supposed to indicate the presence of encryption.
Use credit cards instead of debit cards:
Don't use your debit card when buying something online, as it's often impossible to recover money that has been stolen online. Credit card companies usually offer little tolerance to fraud, while in case of fraudulent use of your debit card, the money is immediately subtracted from the bank account.
Install a security suite – This entails antivirus software, antiphishing software, firewalls, and such like. Use a program that covers all bases: even hackers have innumerable methods for gaining access to your system and stealing your information. And remember to regularly run scans on your computer. Updating your operating system (OS) and browser with the latest security patches is necessary.
Secure your wireless network – Because on an unsecured network hackers can intercept data while it is in transit, a firewall needs to be enabled on your router and an administrator password with a personal touch that can keep hackers out. Default passwords are indeed known to hackers and can be used for hacking into your network.
Embrace stronger passwords – Well, while it might indeed be easier for you to remember a short password because it refers to your birthday, full name or even a favorite pet's name, those are also easier for hackers. It is advisable to adopt a different user ID/password combination for accounts, thereby avoiding having passwords written down. Make the passwords hard by combining letters, numbers, special characters-with at least 10 characters in length-and change them, also regularly.
Act sensibly and be wary - Always use common sense when you are on the Internet. Do not post any personal information online, nor should you share sensitive information such as bank account or credit card numbers. Be suspicious – Even for a self-proclaimed cyber person, beware of the docky tricks that keep coming up, so be ahead in the game for safety. Take this to your note: Your bank will never send you an email/sms about your compromised account asking for personal sensitive account details/password/PIN, all of which are already with them. Such are phishing attempts.
Supervise your children: You must know the purpose of and who the children are in contact with online. Criminals steal a child's identity to its shortcomings, like online games, forums, and chat-rooms. Initially, they may befriend the kid and win his trust, only to masquerade with false identity after; hence, he/she would be prone to victims. Tell your kids about cybercrime and monitor all online activity.
Be skeptical of whatever is forwarded in cyberspace: Be sure that the messages or links you receive on WhatsApp, Facebook, or any other social media group are not scams. Scammers can spread misinformation leading to online outrages and communal violence. The purpose of fake news content is not usually for monetary gain, though it can be for click baiting and to lure visitors and then get content consumers to virally spread the false information or hoaxes. Verify from authentic sources before forwarding any news.
Watch out for public computers: The public, be it a computer or hotel or cyber cafe, could provide chances for malware that could log your keystrokes. Thus, do not access sensitive accounts there, such as banking or personal information accounts.
(Vivek Koul)
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